Page 5 of Benjamin and the Thief

Without protest, she allowed the two strangers—mother and son—to lead her away. She wasn’t sure why she trusted them not to hurt her. But she did. They’d both helped her when she needed help, and that meant something to her. For the first time in a long time, she felt that she wasn’t alone in this world and that there were good people willing to help her.

3

Benjamin’s heart was still pounding out of control. He and his mother had been running an errand together when they’d turned onto their street and had become witness to the argument between the driver of an SUV and a young woman. Suddenly, she’d stepped into the street to prevent the parking control officer from giving her a ticket. His superior vampire senses had kicked in the moment he’d noticed a taxi driving down the street rather fast. At the last second, he’d gotten to her and snatched her out of the path of the taxi that hadn’t made any attempt to slow down.

While his mother had calmed down the young woman, he’d decided to put things right. All it took was a little mind control to get the driver of the SUV to relinquish the parking spot that Catalina had been waiting for. Convincing the parking control officer not to give her a ticket was even easier. The woman was just as shocked by the incident as Catalina and was more than willing to forgo issuing a ticket when Benjamin apologized to her.

While he and Nina led Catalina to their home, he was able to look at her more closely. She was shorter than his mother, with the same short pixie haircut, but it was as black as a raven. Her eyes were a rich brown and had shimmered with tears that were now drying, while her skin had an olive-brown tone like that of the members of the Latino population of San Francisco. She was beautiful and vulnerable. His protector instinct awakened instantly. But it wasn’t the only thing that did. He was attracted to her in a way that hadn’t happened to him before. Sure, there’d been many women in his life, a few girlfriends, but mostly short flings and one-night stands. However, none of them had ever captured his attention so completely.

In the private elevator that only stopped on the top floor where his parents lived, and on the floor beneath it, where he lived, Nina pressed the button for his floor. He realized why she wasn’t taking them to his parents’ flat: it was still daylight, and his father, Amaury, would still be asleep. Normally, Nina would be too, since she kept the same hours as her vampire mate, but she’d wanted to buy a dress for an upcoming party and had asked for Benjamin’s opinion. So he’d accompanied her.

When the elevator stopped, Benjamin used his key to unlock the door. It opened up directly into his flat, which occupied the entire floor.

“Welcome to my home,” Benjamin said and ushered Catalina inside.

Nina followed them. “Do you want me to make you some tea, Catalina? Or would you rather have something stronger?”

He noticed her cast a quick look at her surroundings as if to assure herself that she hadn’t entered the lion’s den. She didn’t appear nervous or scared. It surprised him, considering that he was a stranger to her. But maybe his mother’s presence helped put her at ease.

“Thank you,” Catalina said. “I think tea would be good.” She cast Nina a smile.

“I’ll make it,” Benjamin offered and turned to the kitchen when Nina put a hand on his forearm.

“I’ll take care of that, sweetheart,” Nina said. “Why don’t you entertain your guest?”

When she walked to the kitchen to make tea, Benjamin turned back to Catalina and pointed to the large seating arrangement in the living area.

“Please take a seat.”

When she chose an armchair, Benjamin sat down in the corner of the couch that was closest to it. Even from a distance of several feet, her enticing scent engulfed him. It wasn’t a perfume or lotion but the underlying scent every human had. And every human’s scent was different. Hers reminded him of the fresh smell of a meadow after a summer rain.

“So you and your mother live here together?” Catalina asked, her voice still a little bit shaky.

“Actually, only I do. My parents live above me.” He motioned to the ceiling.

“Oh.”

Her mouth formed a perfect circle, and the temptation to kiss her red lips rose inside him. He was glad that his mother was with them, so he wouldn’t forget the manners she’d taught him and simply follow his vampire instincts and take what he wanted. Besides, Catalina was still in shock and in no way in a position to make an informed decision whether to allow such a kiss.

“Here’s your tea, honey,” Nina said and carried a steaming mug to Catalina.

“Thank you. That’s so kind of you.” She smiled at Nina. She took a sip, then set the mug onto the coffee table.

“You’re welcome,” Nina said.

Meanwhile, Benjamin sat in silence, not knowing what to say. Damn, he’d never felt so self-conscious, worrying that he would say the wrong thing. If they’d met in a nightclub or a bar—the places where he usually picked up women—he had a whole catalogue of conversation starters, but here, in this situation, with a scared young woman who could have been hit by a car and could have died, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Maybe he too was in shock. That had to be it. Perhaps he needed a drink too. But tea wouldn’t do it. And blood was out of the question, even though there were bottles in the fridge.

He rose. “I think I need a drink too.”

He walked to the kitchen and opened the cabinet where he kept alcohol. He poured himself a whiskey. He liked the taste of it on occasion, even though as a vampire hybrid he couldn’t get drunk.

He heard Nina and Catalina exchange small talk, and he was glad for it. It gave him time to settle his own anxious mind.

“Oh, dear. Is that the time?” Nina suddenly said, “I’ve gotta go. My husband needs his dinner before he leaves for work.”

He knew what that meant. Amaury had sent her a telepathic message unique to blood-bonded couples. The dinner Nina was referring to was herself: he would drink from her, because her blood was the only thing that could nourish him.

“I should probably leave too,” Catalina replied, and began to rise.